Author Identifier (ORCID)
Jane Merewether: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5860-9255
Abstract
This article explores young children's relations with soil, drawing on research that positioned soil as animate, lively and interconnected. The paper investigates how animist approaches offered a mode of encounter for children and their teachers, encouraging them to see themselves as part of a larger ecological community. The research began with a "soil biome immersion"experience where teachers engaged with soil through sensory and arts-based experiences. These initial encounters led to further exploration of child-soil relations through experiential learning and storytelling. Children, as active meaning-makers, co-constructed the inquiry through imaginative and sensory engagements. Findings suggest animism cultivates soil relations, challenging traditional notions of soil as inert and promoting a dynamic understanding of soil ecosystems. Through practices such as storying, drawing and listening, educators supported children's animist perspectives, deepening their attunement to the more-than-human world. This article contributes to environmental education by demonstrating how animism can enrich children's ecological awareness and their sense of connectedness to the world.
Keywords
Animism, Child-soil relations, Early childhood, Grammar of animacy, Pedagogical documentation, Reggio Emilia
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2025
Publication Title
Australian Journal of Environmental Education
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
School
Centre for People, Place and Planet
Funders
Perpetual Limited
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Merewether, J., Blaise, M., & Giamminuti, S. (2025). Animating soil: Cultivating young children’s soil relations. Australian Journal of Environmental Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/aee.2025.10078